Prior to securing the licensing term “iPhone” back in 2006 and 2007, Apple went through a fair amount of rigamarole to get the much-coveted brand name.
It apparently doesn’t want to do that all over again.
Per Bloomberg and MacRumors, Apple has filed for a trademark for the term ‘iWatch’ in Japan:
“The maker of iPhones is seeking protection for the name which is categorized as being for products including a handheld computer or watch device, according to a June 3 filing with the Japan Patent Office that was made public last week. ‘iWatch’ is one of the possible names for the long-rumored Apple wristwatch that has generated increasing buzz over the past year.”
The filing actually represents the second ‘iWatch’ trademark filing discovered from Apple. The first report of the “iWatch” trademark came from Russia, also on June 3rd.
Bloomberg also restated that Apple has a team of about 100 product designers working on a wristwatch computer. The most recent reports have suggested we won’t see the Apple watch until late 2014 and that the watch will feature biometrics as a key feature, allowing for increased security and opening the door to broader health-related applications.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.